<p>My mom has mobility issues and vision impairment. She likes to play scrabble-type games on the computer (uses the magnifying glass built into Windows), use email and online banking, and shop. Before her vision got so bad, she had a Kindle Fire, which she only used for reading and a few game apps. When her eyes got worse (macular degeneration), we got her a bigger Android tablet. The newer versions of Android have “triple tap” to magnify the whole screen, no matter what app you are in.</p>
<p>But with the case, it’s a little heavy for her. Without the case, it’s hard to hold without touching the screen. Oy.</p>
<p>She still plays some games on it. She is not very good at the concept of an app vs a browser, though. Basically I load the apps she wants and she just picks from the home screen icons. So I’m thinking that you might be able to limit your mom that way - just don’t put the browser app where she can easily find it. Get the Facebook app, Kindle app if she reads, games she likes, etc. </p>
<p>Email is more difficult, but maybe you can load a gmail app (if she has gmail) and somehow disable other sites (parental controls are a possibility, especially if you can “white list” the sites that are safe).</p>
<p>Timely thread for me now. My 81 year old mother has never had any type of computer/device besides her flip phone which has our phone numbers programmed into it. No internet at her house. I am thinking however of getting her some device and because of this, wireless for her home. I think a tablet would be best for her as opposed to a laptop. She would get too hyper about turning that laptop on/off and saving electricity!!!</p>
<p>Her uses would probably be limited to Facebook with family (we will set a page up for her, friend request the extended family and have it all set up before we give her the tablet), Skype with family, a link to my brother’s professional blog and maybe a game or two like solitaire. I also would have icon links directly on the tablet face for each of these things. Guess we will have to set her up a gmail account just so she can have FB, Skype, but she will use it for nothing else.</p>
<p>Now the question: what tablet? We are all used to iPads. In the interest of $$$, should we consider a mini? Or go for a refurbished iPad 2 or something??? Or branch out with a Samsung or whatever cheaper tablet that Costco might be selling??? I really want the simplest solution at a reasonable cost. For her use and for my budget, doesn’t make sense to purchase a full fledged lastest iPad edition. </p>